Buying a Montana Fishing License: Costs, Rules, and Logistics for Nonresidents

As of April 21, 2026, a Montana fishing license for a nonresident age 16 or older costs $31.50 for one day, $73.50 for five days, or $117.50 for the season. That is the real total, not just the base license price. It includes the $10 Conservation License and the $7.50 Angler AIS Prevention Pass that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks also requires. And if you are only fishing inside Yellowstone National Park, stop there. Montana’s license is not valid in the park. You need a Yellowstone fishing permit instead.

Planning the rest of the trip too? Use our when to visit Bozeman guide for runoff and smoke timing, then pair it with the Bozeman to Yellowstone planning guide if you are mixing fishing with park days.

What a nonresident actually has to buy

Montana splits this into pieces, which is why visitors think the checkout screen is lying to them.

For most out-of-state adults, there are three line items:

• The fishing license
• The $10 Conservation License
• The $7.50 Angler AIS Prevention Pass

FWP’s 2026 fee tables put the nonresident totals at:

Nonresident age	1 day	5 days	Season
16 and older	$31.50	$73.50	$117.50
12 to 15	$24	$66	$110
11 and under	No license required	No license required	No license required

The kid rule is worth slowing down for. FWP says anyone 11 or younger can fish without a license, Conservation License, or AIS pass, but they still have to follow the same limits and regulations as everyone else.

The season license is also not a calendar-year license. FWP says a valid Montana fishing license runs from March 1 through the end of February of the following year. So if you are buying one in July for a longer stay, the season makes sense. If this is one guided day while you are in town for a wedding, it does not.

The two mistakes that waste the most money

The first mistake is buying the wrong permit for the wrong side of the Yellowstone line.

As of March 13, 2026, the National Park Service says anglers 16 or older need a valid Yellowstone National Park fishing permit to fish in the park, and state fishing licenses are not valid and aren’t required there. Yellowstone’s current permit prices are $40 for three days, $55 for seven days, and $75 for the season. Kids 15 or younger can fish under an adult’s permit or get a free youth permit.

That means this simple rule works:

• Fishing inside Yellowstone National Park: buy the Yellowstone permit.
• Fishing Montana water outside the park: buy the Montana license.
• Doing both on the same trip: you may need both.

People get tripped up around Gardiner and West Yellowstone because the trip starts in Montana, the fly shop is in Montana, and the river you want may cross a park boundary. Read the access point carefully before you pay.

The second mistake is assuming the app sells the license. It does not. Montana’s MyFWP app is useful after you buy. FWP says it lets you view licenses in or out of cell service and show digital proof to law enforcement. But the same page also says you still have to purchase licenses through the Online Licensing System, at an FWP office, or through a certified license provider.

Buy it before you drive out of Bozeman

The cleanest move is buying online the night before. That gives you time to make an account, enter the last four digits of your Social Security number for the Conservation License, and make sure everything is sitting in your phone before you lose service in a canyon.

That service piece matters more than people think. If you are heading into Gallatin Canyon, Paradise Valley, or anywhere near Yellowstone, read our Bozeman cell service guide before you count on a last-second login at the river pullout.

If you want to buy in person, FWP’s license provider list currently includes spots Bozeman visitors already know: Montana Angler Fly Fishing on East Main, Montana Troutfitters, Schnee’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and The River’s Edge. That is convenient if you want local advice at the same time, but it is still slower than doing the paperwork before breakfast.

My opinion: buy online, then use the fly shop for flies and current river intel. Standing at the register building an account while the morning hatch is already happening is a bad use of a Montana day.

Do not forget the extra boat fee

If you are bringing your own boat, drift boat, raft, or paddlecraft into Montana, the fishing license is not the whole story.

FWP says all watercraft entering Montana must be inspected for aquatic invasive species before launch. Nonresident vessels also need a Vessel AIS Prevention Pass:

• $30 for motorized watercraft
• $10 for nonmotorized watercraft

FWP also says proof can be electronic or paper, and there is no decal. So yes, your nonresident raft counts. This catches visitors who are very diligent about the angler AIS pass and completely forget the separate vessel pass.

The license is the easy part. The water rules are harder.

A Montana license gets you legal access. It does not tell you where you can fish, what you can keep, or whether the river you had in mind is even open that afternoon.

That is why the 2026 Montana fishing regulations matter more than the receipt in your inbox. Some waters are catch-and-release only. Some have species-specific rules. And in hot summers, FWP can put hoot-owl restrictions and other waterbody closures in place that shut fishing down during the hottest part of the day to protect trout.

If your trip is built around spring fishing, timing matters just as much. Our mud season guide and month-by-month Bozeman guide both explain why runoff can make one week great and the next week chocolate milk.

And if you are mixing Montana fishing with a Yellowstone day, remember that Yellowstone changed some fishing timing for 2026. On January 27, 2026, the National Park Service announced earlier May 1 openings on the Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison inside the park’s west side. Good news, but it does not change the permit split. Park water still uses park permits. Montana water still uses Montana licenses.

My default advice for three common trips

One guided day out of Bozeman. Buy the 1-day Montana nonresident license online the night before. Adult total: $31.50. Download it to your phone. Done.

Five-day fishing-heavy vacation based in Bozeman. Buy the 5-day license unless you know you will be back in Montana before the end of next February. Adult total: $73.50.

Long summer stay, second trip later this year, or you are pairing fishing with multiple Montana visits. The season license starts making sense at $117.50, especially if you hate doing this paperwork more than once.

The wrong move is pretending you will “figure it out at the river.” Montana is not a place where service, licensing, access, and regulations all get simpler once you leave town.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Montana fishing license for a nonresident in 2026?

For anglers 16 and older, the full total is $31.50 for 1 day, $73.50 for 5 days, or $117.50 for the season. Those totals include the fishing license, Conservation License, and Angler AIS Prevention Pass.

Do nonresidents need both the Conservation License and the AIS pass?

Yes. FWP requires nonresident anglers to buy both the $10 Conservation License and the $7.50 Angler AIS Prevention Pass in addition to the base fishing license. Anglers 12 to 15 do not pay the AIS fee. Kids 11 and under do not need any of the three.

Can I buy a Montana fishing license on the MyFWP app?

No. FWP says the app stores and displays licenses, including out of cell service, but you still have to purchase the license through the Online Licensing System, at an FWP office, or through a certified provider.

Do I need a Montana fishing license inside Yellowstone National Park?

No. Yellowstone uses its own park fishing permit. As of March 13, 2026, the National Park Service says state fishing licenses are not valid and are not required inside Yellowstone.

Where should I buy one in Bozeman?

Online is fastest. If you want to buy in person, FWP’s Bozeman provider list includes places like Montana Angler, Montana Troutfitters, Schnee’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and The River’s Edge.

Buy the license the night before, download it before you lose service, and use your morning for the river instead of a paperwork line.